AC

A woman took her claim that her 2006 Honda Civic hybrid doesn't achieve its advertised gas mileage before a judge Tuesday in a case that's attracting national attention. The trial was held in small-claims court here — a couple of miles from Honda's U.S. headquarters. The high profile of Heather Peters' case is a reflection of the fact that the case tests whether dissatisfied consumers can use small-claims court to short-circuit a class-action lawsuit. Peters, a former corporate attorney now employed as a housing policy analyst, is passing up a proposed class-action settlement that would give up to $200 to certain Civic hybrid owners over inflated gas mileage claims. In small-claims court, Peters, 46, of Los Angeles is limited to damages of $10,000, even though she says she was defrauded for $122,112. She alleged that Honda misrepresented the $25,400 car because it initially got 20% less than the 49 miles per gallon in the city and 51 mpg on the highway that were promoted on its...